nasal balloon (Photo : Facebook)
Recent research shows that the medical condition "otitis media with effusion" (OME) can be cured safely and effectively without surgery, by using nostrils to inflate a nasal balloon. "Glue ear" occurs when an inflamed middle ear fills up with fluid that does not drain away properly, with the build-up occasionally resulting in an infection.
The new study was conducted by the University of Southampton and published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. It examined the process called "autoinflation," which involves using each nostril to blow up the balloon.
This condition often results in no symptoms. However, if it is not treated it can harm sufferers' hearing development. Medical News Today reports that the balloon technique works because its inflation encourages fluid to drain from the victim's ear canal.
The new nasal balloon method sends air to the middle ear, which normalizes the pressure inside the canal. Then fluid drains.
Medical researchers examined 320 children aged 4 to 11. The study's participants had fluid buildup in one or two ears.
Children were split up into two groups. The experimental group received nasal balloon treatments three times daily, while the control group received traditional therapies.
One month later, 47.3 percent of the children who were treated with the balloon had improved, according to Science Recorder. Meanwhile, 38.3 percent of those with traditional care got better.
A major problem of traditional glue ear treatments including antibiotics, antihistamines (allergy medicine), and steroids is that they have side effects, according to HNGN. Plus, they often have no effect.
As a last resort, physicians often conduct surgery by inserting tubes into the child's ear canals in order to drain fluid. However, this remedy can also be ineffective, and several children are ineligible for it.
Further research will examine the innovative nasal balloon treatment. The safe and effective method could revolutionize the way glue ear is treated, and also allow kids to avoid needing to undergo an operation.
